The DreamGranters
by BlackFeatherz29
Summary: AU He roams the world through 700 years of torment, atoning for the crimes of his life, searching for the ones he loved and wronged. The ones of his kind who cannot forgive themselves... they must learn to love again. They are the DreamGranters. SakuNaru
1. Death

**The Dream-Granters**

By BlackFeatherz29

Chapter 1

This is a fic idea that I've had in my head for a long, long time. It's probably the darkest and most reality-oriented fic I've ever come up with, but I felt a need to write it. Actually, it was inspired by the sight of homeless men holding cardboard signs by the sides of the road when I was passing by on my way home from art class. I felt an incredible amount of sympathy, yet I was too scared to do anything about it.

This story deals with death and the actions behind them and after them. It'll be filled with Naruto characters, but they won't be the people you know. They're my own take on them, but I hope that you will enjoy them because their personalities will be similiar, with things I added to make them more interesting.

This was not edited by my beta-reader because he told me that it was too angsty and he couldn't deal with it. I hope that you won't have the same problem; I can write about depressing and disturbing things and not be affected only because I have not experienced much personal trauma in my short life. I'm quite dense and wasn't aware of the more sensitive readers.

The very beginning of this chapter was a bit abrupt, but I felt it was appropriate for this fic. That, and I lost the first five hundred words when I didn't update documents for a long time.

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters of Naruto, but this storyline is totally my own invention.

* * *

The next day, she was called into the office. Nobody bothered to find out what happened when she finally came back to class with swollen eyes and tear streaks of ruined makeup running down her face. It was only Sakura, after all. She didn't care about anything except herself. She'd never been a friend to them; why should they be a friend to her? 

She'd never thought much about this. As long as she ignored everything else that went on a concentrated solely on her grades, her parents would be happy and so would she. She was never good at socializing, but she loved to read. Doing what she did best incited hateful spouts of jealousy from the other girls in her class; they had everything else she didn't, but they were envious of her grades. And because Sakura had never been able to approach them about anything, they came to hate her. They said she was a stuck-up, snot-nosed brat who was pampered by her successful parents and looked down on everyone else just because she was smart. She wasn't even that pretty and yet she dared to act like she was!

Of course she was hurt by this. Nobody survived bouts of the cold shoulder unscathed, and she was no different. But she ignored them, and ran. She was good at running. Whenever a homeless man went up to her and begged for money, she shook like a bamboo pole and took off in the other direction. She'd never really thought about what the other party wanted, and she'd never really wanted to know.

All she knew was books. Books, books, books. She had the highest grades in the class, but she wanted higher ones. She never cared for friends, because they never helped in the classroom. All they did was distract you from the task at hand. Friends were useless.

But now that she needed a person to cry on, there was no one for her. Tenten was thousands of miles away in China, and her parents were dead. There really was no one in the world that she could lean on.

She knew it was her fault. She'd built too solid a path toward someplace in life, and she'd never bothered to fit a net underneath when that narrow path started to crumble. And crumble it did.

Even more terrible than news of her parents' murders was that she could not go to university anymore. She had had her eighteenth birthday three months ago; she was of legal age now. Her parents had no insurance, and she had no living relatives. It was with casual indifference that they shattered her life.

She'd always thought that if she'd been a good girl and did all her studying, she could get anything she wanted. Now, she learned that studying meant nothing if you didn't have money. Tokyo University seemed so far away now that she could never reach it.

And it was with triumphant glares and much flipping of glossy hair that the other girls in her class expressed their satisfaction. The teacher asked Sakura to tell everyone else the news; she provided little information through her tightly pursed lips, but the negative tone seemed to spill everything to the other girls. How they knew from those few words, she didn't know.

There was only two weeks left in the school year before graduation. And for Sakura, these two weeks could never be replaced. No more teachers, no more learning. No books for a while, until she sold her apartment and stuck together enough money to provide herself three meals each day.

So with a leaden heart, she said good-bye to her beloved school on the day of graduation, her diploma clenched tightly in her sweaty fist. Tears streamed down her face, but she never made a sound. The sakura tree was in bloom, its petals floating lazily through the air as they became airborne.

She was airborne, now, too. She was on her own in the world.

* * *

Life was just like a dream. It had always been that way for as long as Sakura could remember. 

Even though it made her feel satisfied when she got good grades or a particularly interesting book to read, all those adventures printed in thick white pages seemed but a dream.

The heroes, the beautiful maidens, the epic battles and philosophies of right and wrong… none of them seemed real. It was blissful to slip into that world, but throughout that long moment when she felt herself sucked into an adventure beyond this world, there was always this nagging feeling.

It wasn't real. None of it. People like that just didn't exist in this world. No wretched orphans ever had a chance to learn to become a vengeful hero for his people because nobody ever gave him a chance. There was plenty of vengeance in this world; there just weren't any people kind enough to make it happen, and maybe it was for the better.

Sakura knew she wasn't brave enough. She saw homeless people all the time; elderly, middle-aged, young children. Her heart went out to them, but she never gave more than ten yen to them.

They scared her, actually. Their haunted eyes, filthy clothing, and brown, crusty hands. Their eyes pleaded with her every time she went past in her pristine school uniform.

They scared her then, because she knew that if she didn't study, she'd end up just like them. No money, no food, no nothing.

Once she'd realized this, she'd shiver and run all the way home. Her fear pushed her to study, study, day and night.

By then, she'd forgotten all about the poor homeless people shivering in the bitter night air.

And then she'd drown herself in her work once again, go to bed when she felt she could take no more, and wake up the next morning to do it all again.

She was fiercely jealous of those girls with boyfriends. She'd never openly admit it, but she died of envy every time they laughed in such a carefree way or snuggled into each other.

Fire burned in her throat, scalding it, aching mightily as she ignored them, tongue clamped painfully between teeth. More than once, blood dripped out and dissolved on her tongue, tasting just like the horrible feeling she walled up inside her. They were so carefree, leaning on their boyfriends and looking like they had nothing in the world to worry about. They were so lucky. They could afford to waste time and grades and not give a fig; who cared as long as you had love?

She cared because she never had it.

Somehow, even though her heart felt hollow and empty, it also floated up in the air. She'd lost her chance at Tokyo University, but she'd gained the chance to just get away from those awful girls who had what she wanted and hated her for what little she had.

She felt strangely calm though she really had been demoted to the level of those homeless people. It was almost as if she didn't need to care about anything anymore, because she didn't have anything anymore to worry about.

Japan really was a ruthless place. If you couldn't study and you had no money, you would be better off dead.

Sakura had spent a few days scouring the weekly newspapers for a cheap apartment complex to move into. She'd found a broken down place bought and owned by an old man, but the rent was cheaper than she'd found in any other place.

She hated the sight of her landlord. He chewed tobacco all the time, and the acrid smell of cigarettes wafted through the thin walls every day. She hated going outside the complex, because every time he caught sight of her, he would leer grotesquely. It gave her chills, and she made sure to lock her door extra tight every night and to pile a spare futon and a small table against it in case anybody tried to force themselves in.

Little by little, Sakura managed to earn her keep, but by then she didn't care anymore. Nobody to care about her, nobody to care about, nothing to live for. It was like living in a dream where nothing seemed real anymore and everyone just floated around like ghosts.

She certainly felt like one. In fact, she couldn't even remember the last time she smiled a real smile. This wide, fake grin twisting her face into unnatural shapes couldn't even be called a smile. All her restaurant manager wanted was a positive expression, anything that didn't scare the customer away. So, Sakura complied with zero resistance.

What was there to smile for anymore? What was there to live for?

Before, she felt as if she were on the brink of something, something bigger and better, something life-changing and exciting. But now, there was nothing to look forward to anymore.

She remembered her old dreams of those faceless people, those two boys who haunted her dreams with their happy smiles. They had seemed so real, but there was nobody like them in this world. They were her old imaginary friends, the people she had made up out of sheer loneliness.

They still lingered around her dreams. Sometimes, she'd wake up with crusted tears in her eyes and not remember a thing that the dream had been about.

The raunchy laughter of businessmen hung over filled the air, along with the giggles of prostitutes and the sizzle of food that particular night. It was hot beyond reason, and spots of dark sweat stuck on shirts. Hers was no exception.

The chief told her to take over garbage duty that night, the very worst job there was in that dingy restaurant. She'd shrugged, not caring.

As she hoisted three huge bags of trash onto her shoulders, she stumbled a little before heading across the road toward the nearest dumpster. The bags must have weighed at least eighty pounds; she couldn't even walk with her face turned straight. She attempted holding her breath to drown out the putrid stink, but the air was filled with the odor.

She found she could hardly walk straight now. Months of cheap drugstore meals and not enough nutrition had reduced her body to nearly nothing, and laborious work everyday strained her already too-weak body.

Sweat ran down her neck in rivets. In a dim haze, she observed that this was not good because she would waste all the precious electrolytes that she still had in her body.

She never saw the car coming. It impacted before she had a chance to comprehend what was happening.

All she knew was that one minute she was wavering under the enormous burden, and the next, she wasn't.

And then Sakura saw someone.

She didn't even comprehend her own broken body lying on the dark road, uniform covered with garbage when the bags burst. She only saw one shining face that she'd only ever seen in her dreams.

That blond boy… the one who had such a huge, mind bending smile, the one who always inspired a kind of hope in her at the most desperate moments. Somehow, it was him standing in front of her, clad in lightbeams.

She couldn't hear the words he was saying, but she saw his lips move.

'Come', he whispered, reaching out a hand for her. She saw them now, the fingers usually darkly tanned but now glowing golden brown and shimmering, calluses imprinted heavily on the digits and deep whorls on the tips.

Sakura didn't hesitate. She put her own on that glowing hand, and smiled.

* * *

This is the first time I've written so intimately about death, but it's a powerful thing. Naruto didn't come in in this chap, but I hope you can look forward to him next chapter. He is probably the most complicated person in my story besides Kami-sama, and that's saying something. Don't expect him to be loud and obnoxious; he had a hard life and an even harder afterlife.

Next chapter mostly already written; look forward to it in a few days.

Reviews, plz. First time writing a mature fic; have been reading too much seinen manga like Parasyte(Kiseijuu), Cesare, Eternal Sabbath, Bokurano, etc. even though I'm not male and I'm barely turning sixteen next week.


	2. Moving On

**The DreamGranters**

By BlackFeatherz29

Chapter 2

Seeing as the first chapter didn't have that much insight into the story itself... and beause people probably didn't get much out of it because it's more like a prologue than anything else, I shall upload the second chapter. Don't expect updates very soon after this; I write about a hundred to two hundred words every day during AP Computer Science just because I have access to a computer, but I never have time to work on it at home.

Also, though Kami-sama himself does not appear on this chapter, please try not to object toward my personification of him. He's a little like my perception of God mixed with other primitive religions', since I'm Christian and I'm sick to death of people portraying God as some sort of menacing monster trying to drive everyone to annihilation. I want to make him seem like an all powerful being with a sense of humor who interferes in mysterious yet benificial ways.

Thusly... the second chapter. This is Naruto, though he has yet to introduce himself (he still hopes for some memory of his name... poor guy), and Sasuke and the crew will come along. I believe after Kami-sama, there will be Sasuke, then Haku and Neji. I have big plans for Ino and Tenten.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or its characters; I only own this story idea.

* * *

It felt like part of her heart that had been long torn away was now been reunited again. It was a warm, rushing emotion that she hadn't felt in the longest time. 

It was with greatest reluctance that she became aware of where she was again. Holding onto the boy's hand, it was like tapping into a vast reserve of warm, never-ending bliss. It would be wonderful if she could just stay there forever, but the glow dimmed silently, and she saw it couldn't be.

A slow sort of awareness dawned on her, and Sakura now felt the things around her.

She felt the drizzling rain on her shoulders and hair, the hot asphalt jabbing cruelly into the soles of her bare feet, the sweat evaporating off her bare neck and shoulders. She blinked a few times, staring into that face that seemed painfully familiar, yet she couldn't remember ever seeing it before.

Opening her mouth, she found it was difficult to think of anything to say. There was a deafening silence lingering around her; she could hear her own heart pounding in her chest, and her vocal cords creaking when she tried to speak.

"It's okay; it takes a while to get used to your astral body," the boy told her before she could force out a sound.

Sakura swallowed hard, and then tried again. "Am…. Am I dead?"

The boy gave her a strange look, but then laughed heartily in reply. "I didn't expect you to say that. Nobody who I've ever met has ever said that on their first try!"

Then, his face grew serious once again. "Sakura-chan… I guess you knew it all along, ne? You're dead."

Sakura didn't really know what to say to this. Thank god? That didn't seem very appropriate.

"I thought so…" she began, suddenly slightly nervous. "I always thought I was walking to death, anyway. And when I saw you, I thought… well…"

He grinned at her, blue eyes twinkling. "You remembered me, right? I told you I would come for you."

Sakura nodded, for the first time taking in her emaciated body lying motionless on the asphalt. The body's green eyes were open and glassy, the mouth open in surprise. The back of the head was shattered, blood still trickling from the ruptured skull and the side of the rib cage completely caved in. A dog barked in the distance; nobody came to find the pitiful sight splattered on the street.

Sakura turned away, nauseated. The flies were already streaking for another meal, and crows could be heard cackling on the power lines.

"I want to go somewhere else," she said, wanting more than anything to get away from that filthy thing. It wasn't her, that road kill on the street. It was disgusting, the stink of death that roiled like oily smoke away from the rotting body.

The boy gave her a sympathetic look and put a hand on her shoulder. "Sure thing, Sakura-chan. Wherever you want to go."

Sakura's thoughts immediately flew to her old beloved high school. It was the only place where she had really been comfortable, despite the teasing that she had endured. "I wish I could see my school one more time…"

The boy grinned. "No problem. Let's go, then!"

His hand grasped something, and she realized with a small start that it was as if the reality had just been suddenly drawn back as if it was just a curtain. He gave it a twist, and the world dissolved into a whirlwind of reality and black.

And a split second after the world disappeared, it reappeared to reveal the familiar sight of her high school. The rain only drizzled slightly now in the urban night, the blooming sakura petals on the trees hanging limply from the branches and lying dirtied on the ground.

Just standing and staring at the dark, abandoned building, Sakura found she didn't feel the level of comfort that she had expected. The school looked alien, unrecognizable, forbidding.

The rain began to patter down more strongly now, drenching them now. Sakura turned away from the school building, feeling strangely alone in the world.

It was if the kind old man who had always took care of her before had suddenly passed away. The world looked dark now, as if there was a thick layer of smog over everything. She glanced at the skin on her hands, startled at how alive and radiant her skin looked in comparison with the muddy blushes of the crumpled sakura petals.

"Is this what it's like being dead?" she wondered aloud, her voice ringing hauntingly against the concrete walls. The world felt so foreign and colorless; was life really all spent in this place?

Beside her, the boy nodded silently, looking concerned. "It is," he replied, voice solemn. "But though it may not look like much, life is precious."

Sakura smiled wryly. "I never really wanted to live more, anyway. I'm actually glad I'm not part of it all anymore."

The boy gave her a long, sad look. "Maybe life had no meaning for you, but it means everything for me," he stated without hesitation.

Sakura shrugged, suddenly feeling very old and tired.

A long silence passed in which the only sounds here were the distant horns of cars and the quiet pattering of the rain.

Then the boy posed a strange question. "Do you have anything you want to do before you go?"

She looked at him, confused. "Go where?"

"To your judgment, of course."

Sakura was startled. Judgment? As in the Bible and other mythology?

"Judgment?" she asked, suddenly nervous. "Am I going to Hell or something?"

The boy shook his head mutely, mixed happiness and sadness in his blue eyes. "No," he said quietly. "The reason that I came to meet your personally was to bring you to the same place I go to. We belong to Purgatory."

It only took Sakura a few seconds to come up with a dictionary definition. "You mean the place souls go when they don't go to Heaven or Hell?"

The boy nodded, though his face still looked sad. "Yeah, that's it. Kami-sama has already judged you the moment you died, and he decreed that your life was too short to properly judge you, among other things. You are to go with me to Purgatory."

Sakura nodded slowly, trying to process most of what he was saying. Purgatory sounded like… another life. The thought of living yet another tiresome life filled with responsibilities and betrayals filled her a sense of forboding. But still, Purgatory had to be better than Hell, and she doubted that she had lived saintly enough to go to Heaven.

"I don't have anywhere else to go," she said quietly. "Take me there, please. If you're there… then maybe I might be able to stand it."

The boy gave her an enormous smile that made her heart ache with familiarity. "Your wish is my command, Sakura-chan."

He grabbed a piece of the fabric of reality, then beckoned her forward. She went without hesitation, remembering abruptly in stunning detail the boy's joyful face in a long-forgotten dream.

He had been dressed in a threadbare orange gi, blond hair dirtied and haggard, yet despite the numerous bruises and cuts he sported on his rough tanned skin, his smile was enough to make it shine like the sun itself.

Before the curtain covered her, she heard his voice whisper, almost too quietly to hear, "And if you're there, Haruka-chan, then I might begin to forgive myself…"

* * *

It was ironic, really. His heartstrings pulled painfully whenever he looked at her. Sakura, the girl who was the splitting image of seamstress's daughter Haruka. The girl who was Haruka. 

In a way, he was relieved that he had met her again. But then, he immediately felt a surge of guilt for the lonely desire that plagued him. He was so selfish, but still…

* * *

Cliffie. Dun-dun-DUN. Man, am I evil. But I want them reviews badly. Thus... review.

Next chapter: meeting with Kami-sama, introduction of Purgatory, and seeing Sasuke for the first time... in a five hundred years.


	3. Judgment

**The DreamGranters**

By BlackFeatherz29

Chapter 3

Yay, the third chapter is finally done. I have a student holiday today, so I got some drawing and writing done. I see big potential in this fic even though nobody else seems to see any... judging by the number of reviews I have received.

You guys are pretty dang lucky that I just love this story so much that I would keep on writing this even if feedback is minimal, because I really like to gripe about reviews. And now I will prepare to use my ancient voodoo magic to make you review. READ AND REVIIIEEEWWW!

I'm done now.

Warning: the religion thing I talked about last chapter is in full effect here. If you are devoutly religious and cannot see your god smushed together with a bunch of others, I'd advise you not to gripe at me. I am a churchgoing Christian myself, and I am not trying to disrespect my God by writing this.

Disclaimer: Naruto's chars are not mine. This story plot is, though, so if you steal it, I am hunting you down. Just a small warning. (smiles)

* * *

It was ironic, really. His heartstrings pulled painfully whenever he looked at her. Sakura, the girl who was the splitting image of seamstress's daughter Haruka. The girl who was Haruka.

In a way, he was relieved that he had met her again. But then, he immediately felt a surge of guilt for the lonely desire that plagued him. He was so selfish, but still…

Her bare feet were silent. She was walking through space and time, a never-ending dark hallway of black doors.

Sakura could sense the boy ahead of her even though she couldn't hear him breathing; she realized with a start that he wasn't breathing. She wasn't breathing either, but she didn't need to. She put a hand to her chest in curiosity. No comforting beating. None at all.

Biological functions didn't matter anymore. The distance from their starting point increased exponentially as the two walked for hours without tiring. And then the boy stopped.

"Here it is," he told Sakura, gesturing at an unsuspecting door. She blinked momentarily, and then nodded. There would be nothing to hide, she told herself with no small amount of guilt. Her life had been pathetic, to say the least. Timid and indecisive to the point of paranoia, Sakura had nothing to give as a token of her short life. What else would Kami-sama have to say?

The boy grasped the door handle, pulling the surprisingly heavy door open for her. She took a step forward, but stopped as his hand found its way onto her shoulder.

She turned to look at him again, feeling oddly nostalgic. He gave her a sad smile, then whispered something in her ear.

"Find me when you come out," he said. "Remember Uzumaki Naruto, Sakura-chan."

And then he pushed her through the doorway.

The world went completely black.

* * *

This time, the darkness was absolute, eternal, all-powerful. The silence was perfect, no shape at all discernable through anything. Sakura felt herself gripped by panic, feeling oppressed by the way the heavy velvet blackness that suffocated her senses.

She took a step forward tentatively, and experienced the curious sensation of walking on something that did not exist. Haltingly, she moved blindly forward, putting one foot in front of another in a futile attempt to go in a straight line.

She stopped after what seemed like an eternity. What was this? Where was she supposed to go? Was she even supposed to go somewhere?

Her answer came immediately. The black started to brighten around her subtlely, and before she could blink, it had vanished altogether.

Sakura blinked again, unable to comprehend the sudden change, and then found herself staring right into the face of a child.

He looked about ten years old, dressed in richly embroidered robes with a golden ball in his lap. His face was round and cherubic, flawless in features but not to the point of girlishness. The child tilted his head slightly and smirked at her.

She couldn't help herself; she blinked again, puzzled at why a child would be anywhere here. When she opened her eyes again, the child was still there. He stared at her, a little smugly.

"What are you so confused about?" he asked, a trace of amusement in his young voice. "I'm real. You see me right here."

Sakura gaped, nodding slowly. Then, moving her jaw around a little, she spoke hesitantly. "Um… where am I?"

The boy giggled, the laugh itself sounding like jingling bells. "You are in the Room of Judgment, of course. Didn't my helper tell you that much?"

Sakura blinked a few more times, comprehension finally dawning on her. If that was true, then this boy…

"You… you're Kami-sama, aren't you?"

The child grinned, his whole face lighting up. "Good job. It took you awhile, but a lot of people take much longer to acknowledge me."

He smiled deviously. "Do you understand why I appear this way?"

Sakura gave Him a strange look, trying to wrap her brain around those words.

"No, I guess you have no way of find the answer. You were never aware of my presence and no follower of mine has ever approached you so that is understandable."

Kami-sama looked her straight in the face. "Since you know me as Kami-sama, I must also add that I am The God of Christianity, Allah of Islam, and all the gods put together in all other world religions. I am everywhere and I am in everything. You realize that you cannot put a human face on me. So I appear to you in the form that you most expect me to be in."

"You have always associated religion with mystery and otherworldliness, so thus I appear in traditional Japanese robes. You have also denied my existence and belittled my presence, so I am in the form of a child in order to fulfill your expectations."

Now his face took on an almost dreamy quality. "You know, I remember when I first received Napoleon Bonaparte nearly two hundred years ago," he said casually. "You must remember his name from school, right?"

Sakura nodded awkwardly, not sure what to say. She had, in fact, been fascinated with history back in school. Napoleon and other conquerors had been her most preferred topics.

"Right. When he first saw me, he demanded to know who I was and why in the name of heaven and earth was my chamber so dark. He had been trapped in the darkness for almost three mortal days before beginning to question his surroundings. He refused to acknowledge me as Kami-sama until I showed him proof of my power, which I did, and only that gave me his respect. My form back then was that of a sick man. I suppose he thought that God had no more effect in his own godly life than a sick man. And I suppose that a shy girl like you would be much more humble than that bombastic man, would you not?"

She nodded again mutely. She opened her mouth, unsure if she should say something.

Kami-sama held up a hand, silencing her. "You really don't need to say anything, you know. I can hear everything that you are thinking."

Sakura's eyes flew open wide and she glued her lips shut tightly, as if afraid of her own voice. She swallowed nervously.

He grinned again, this time not so unkindly. "You are amazed at my power, are you not?" When she did not answer, he continued. "Being as intelligent as you are, you must have figured out that the darkness was all a test. All mortals who come into the Room of Judgment are subject to a test of pride and personality; the humble and quick-witted will find me first and the proud and stubborn will find me much later. You, fortunately, like to think."

Sakura's eyebrows knitted together thoughtfully as she pondered His assessments. Her? Quick-witted? Likes to think? She couldn't remember the last time that she had been paying enough attention to the world to start questioning it. But then again, she had been such a bright student at school… it was so far away she couldn't help but remember possessing those exact qualities in middle school.

Kami-sama smiled slightly at her, satisfied. "You find that to be true, do you not? You were a diamond in the rough, my dear. Your mind was sharp and true, but your instincts took over and your potential was prematurely cut short. And tragically, you have never been exposed to the path of religion enough to ever be aware of Me."

"I believe you are well aware of your crimes and sins," He continued. "You ignored my people suffering on the streets to protect your own wellbeing. You had wealth intelligence but shared it with none, and that is your main crime: you were ignorant and childish. However, I commend your efforts once you became independent. It was not your fault that your soul began to die once you were taken out of your element; you did not have Me there to lean on, and you were so young and inexperienced. Thus, I have decided to give you another chance in order to truly determine what your soul is worth."

He sighed, looking a little troubled as if he was trying to decide something. And then he made his decision. "Haruno Sakura… I do not think that Naruto-kun would be pleased if he found out that I had told you what I am about to tell you, but it is your birthright and your secret to keep."

Sakura, who had kept silent and still throughout the reading of her sins, suddenly felt alive with curiosity. "Naruto… he called me 'Haruka' once before I came in here. Does that have something to do with this?"

The god nodded soberly. "I'm not surprised that he did. Would you believe that he has watched over you ever since you were born?"

She inhaled quickly, momentarily stunned. "He did?"

"Yes. And would you also believe that this was not your first life?"

Now she just stared, unabashed.

"You were one of the very few people who had the privilege to be reincarnated into another life… because of Naruto. Your first life was that of a girl named Haruka, the daughter of a seamstress in the 1400's. Your life was short and your death tragic also. You died in a fire at the age of 14."

* * *

Now... how was that for juicy? I had this all planned out since the beginning.

Send me your thoughts NOW! I command you to give me feedback! FEEEEDBAAACCK!


	4. Resolve

The DreamGranters

Chapter 4

By BlackFeatherz29

Rather lost my characterizations in this chapter, so I put it off for a long time before finishing the editing. Somehow, Sakura-chan turned out super OOC the first time I wrote this, so I had to rewrite everything and that made me not want to work on this anymore. Yes, I am spouting excuses :) A whole summer is no little amount of time in which to dilly around.

Disclaimer: I don't own the Naruto chars, but I do own their alter egos and the plot of this story.

* * *

"Your first life was that of a girl named Haruka, the daughter of a seamstress in the 1400's. Your life was short and your death tragic also. You died in a fire at the age of 14."

Sakura had gone beyond the point of shock now. This was… unbelievable. It hit her so fast that she had no way to comprehend anything. But she kept quiet, knowing that making noise would only make her feel more nauseous.

"I don't expect you to accept this right away," Kami-sama said, sounding as if He hadn't sensed the cacophony of thoughts that were flying around her head.

Reincarnation... was it? This was like something out of an outdated shoujo anime, not real life. Reincarnation didn't exist; it couldn't exist. It contradicted all the laws of the universe that she'd stored in her memory.

But in a strange way… it made sense. Her dreams had always seemed too real to be just dreams, and they all came back to her. She remembered now the way that she wasn't an outsider in those dreams; the reason why she felt so bittersweet about them was that she felt like she had actually belonged there. They had looked her in the face; they had acted as if she had belonged.

"However, do not tell Naruto-kun about this."

"Why?" she asked, completely taken aback.

"Naruto has suffered immensely these last six hundred years because of this," Kami-sama said sadly. "His guilt won't end until he feels he can put things right, and he sees that chance in you. He should have passed on to heaven four hundred years ago, and yet he stays and suffers. He loved you, didn't you know?"

Sakura nodded silently, remembering the boy's sad, knowing smile. "I… I realize that…"

"All his life, he always wanted to be a part of your family and to have the chance to be with you. And what happened? Things got out of hand, and you died… because of his actions. He had the most miserable life that anybody could ask for, and he still has found no peace in death. Do not make this any harder on him than it needs to be; you know this. Naruto thinks that because you don't remember anything about him that he will have a fresh start with his relationship with you."

Sakura nodded again, feeling deep pity welling from within her.

She couldn't remember more than a few wisps of memory about her past life, but that was enough to tell her that this boy, Naruto, would never do anything to harm her. What could have he done that was so terrible? She couldn't remember anything about her death.

She felt a small pang of annoyance along with the empathy as well. It surprised her, that she even had it in her to feel annoyed about this saintly spirit. But he was just that nice; too nice to feel to carry this much of a burden on his shoulders.

"That kid," she muttered, surprised at the annoyance seeping into her voice. This was the first time she'd felt so strongly about something since she'd forced her parents to pay her tuition to go to a fancy private school in junior high.

What a stupid kid... it was his own guilt that was keeping himself here instead of heaven, where he belonged. And for six hundred years, no less! She could only imagine how lonely it must have been for him.

Again, she saw that radiant smile of his that had only appeared in her dreams, that face that was scarred with so many gashes and bruises but had kept on smiling, kept on living. It was inconceivable that someone like him would have to suffer after death.

"That idiot," Sakura said, frowning. "What has he done to himself? Why did he have to feel so sorry about someone like me?"

There had been no point in waiting for anybody else. He had no debts to pay; a flare of anger made its way up her throat.

Kami-sama grinned as He watched the girl who came in subdued and depressed regain her old fire. "I see that I won't have to worry about you," He observed pleasantly. "But before I let you go, please remember that you are not supposed to possess this knowledge."

"Fine," Sakura replied, not looking at Him. She would keep this information to herself and keep acting because he was just too damn nice and she never wanted to hurt him. 'He's doing this all for me,' she told herself. 'His efforts won't be in vain.'

Kami-sama sat back lazily on His rich throne and chuckled. "That's the spirit," He said affectionately. "Just remember not to let on too much."

Before Sakura could nod her consent, a sound of soft footsteps sounded against the nonexistent floor. She started slightly but glanced expectantly at the spot where she thought that sound was coming from. And then gawked in recognition.

A tall, slim young man dressed in a white dress shirt and slacks stepped into the light. However, his aristocratic features and familiar dark eyes and hair were what really made her stare.

He stared at her, too, but his surprise was only made visible by the one raised eyebrow.

"Tatsuya…" Sakura breathed, almost unable to believe whom she was seeing.

Tatsuya and Naruto, the two boys who had haunted her dreams for so many years. Tatsuya had been the ideal marriage partner for many girls in her village, and she had been no exception. She remembered how he loved to play practical jokes on his father, an important official for the emperor, and how she, Tatsuya, and Naruto always spent afternoons fleeing from the sites of their little adventures. She used to love his laugh, so carefree and kind.

Now, she seemed to be looking at a marble statue of the boy she used to know.

"Haruka," he said, not seeming to be affected. Kami-sama gave a knowing look to Sakura, and she suddenly felt saddened after so much passionate anger. He'd changed so much from before; she didn't know what to say to the person who he'd become.

"Sasuke-kun," Kami-sama said presently, nodding toward the tall boy. "Haruno Sakura-san has just arrived from the world of the living, and will be spending time with you and your companions at Purgatory."

Sasuke? What kind of a name was that?

"Since you two have had… past associations, I shall leave you at that. Please show Sakura-san to the place where she is to stay and inform her of the duties of the DreamGranters."

And DreamGranters… what was that?

The now newly-named Sasuke nodded toward Sakura slightly, gesturing for her to follow him. She complied silently, casting one uncertain glance at the God who rested on his ornate throne. He waved at her slightly, smiling reassuringly. She felt apprehension cloud her judgement as she followed Sasuke back into the darkness.

* * *

Strangely enough, the moment they entered the darkness beyond Kami-sama's throne, Sakura found herself immediately out of the room and back into the endless hallway of dark doors. She supposed that it was to be expected, since the size of that room was only a figment of your imagination.

Sasuke turned smoothly to the left and she followed behind him, bare feet plodding along gently on floor. Sakura stared at the boy's familiar back, marveling at how tall and handsome he'd grown. Tatsuya, the government official's son, had been a short but energetic boy whom everybody liked. His face had always been sunny, with an almost cherubic quality.

But this Tatsuya… no, Sasuke was his name… he was tall, dark, and a stranger. His eyes seemed to look dead, almost as if he had lost part of himself somewhere along the way. And his posture was perfect; where he once streaked across the green meadows without a care for anyone, his steps were now quiet and deliberate like a predator's.

His presence was a little overwhelming, even in death. Sakura knew that he probably knew everything, since he had addressed her as Haruka and seemed to recognize her.

"Um… Tat—I mean, Sasuke... -san…"

He didn't turn around but replied in a rather bored voice. "What is it?"

"Do you know… um, who I am?"

He snorted softly, his posture loosening a little. "Of course. How could I forget one of my oldest friends?"

Sakura allowed herself a small smile. So he did remember. "It has been a long time, hasn't it? How long have you been down here?"

Sasuke didn't seen to react, but she could feel him start to tense up. "I've… I've been here for awhile. Not as long as Naruto, but over a hundred years."

"Wow, that really has been awhile..."

He glanced over his shoulder to look at Sakura, a small vestige of his old personality flitting through his emotionless eyes. "Yes, it's been a long time. So long that I don't know who I am anymore."

She looked down again, reminded again of how different he was. "So… what was your life like?" she asked, for lack of a better conversation topic. It was awkward to ask someone who was dead what their time spent blissfully alive was, but did she have anything better to talk about?

He shrugged. "I was a famous son again. There was a war. I died."

"Oh..." There was nothing she could say to that.

"I already know your life story, so don't bother with it."

She felt rather relieved by this. Though she was rather embarrassed about someone else watching her life from... behind the curtains, she suddenly felt thankful that she wouldn't have to point out all her mistakes anymore. Her life hadn't been something to be proud of.

"Since I am familiar with this plane, I'll be showing you around and filling you in on your purpose."

She felt like flinching at his emotionless tone. It did not sound like her best friend anymore. Tatsuya had died inside of his own soul, and this was the remnant that remained.

Only a spark remained, kept alive only by what must have been the fire of the one called Uzumaki Naruto. 'Were they best friends again in death?' Sakura wondered into the silence.

* * *

Oddly philisophical chap, this one. Eh, not much to say about this. The term 'Dream-Granter' and everything else will be explained next chapter. For now, I'm just glad I introduced Sasuke. I got a strong urge to draw Kami-sama now; I can almost picture everything in my head.

Eh, I'm rambling again. Review, please? I somehow get the impression that not many people like this story or want to read it, so I'm considering the idea of dropping it soon. I have started a new romance fic, which I will be very busy writing.

Was that a threat? Why yes, I do believe it was a threat. Therefore, you should all review.


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